


Woods, Wolves and Weirdness

by Jonjo



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, F/M, Fae & Fairies, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Magical Stiles Stilinski
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-20
Updated: 2014-11-20
Packaged: 2018-02-23 12:08:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,927
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2546969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jonjo/pseuds/Jonjo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles discovers the secret of what he is and tries to come clean about his feelings.</p><p>Mostly canon through season 4, after which it wanders off on its own</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Derek's Wolf

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ofself](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ofself/gifts).



> Thanks to the mods for running this brilliant exchange again this year. It's my favourite :)
> 
> Thanks also to MH for his beta efforts

 

Derek was at a loss, so much had happened in the last few days. As he left Eichen House he was reminded of how much the place had spooked him as a child. He had been sure back then there was more to it than a straight-forward mental institution. Now his uncle was going to find out. As if on cue a howl rose from within the building. Miserable, angry but mostly fearful, it shivered down Derek’s spine and he had to steel himself not to howl in reply, to offer some kind of comfort. A pack instinct. He knew Peter only had himself to blame for his current predicament and had done so much harm but there were so few Hales left and pack was important.

The conversation he’d had with Chris Argent about Kate sprang to mind - _‘Some sort of werewolf prison?’ ‘Something like that.’_ He’d find out, maybe get Stiles to help.

But Kate was still at large and that worried him, he wished it had been her he’d just left inside, instead of his uncle. But Chris and the hunters were on her trail so there was at least some hope she’d be stopped soon. Some small part of him wished he had killed her but Scott was right, there had been too many deaths already. He was glad not to have it on his conscience and it was a relief his fear of her had subsided. But what now? How did he fit into Scotts pack? Was he even part of the pack?

He headed back to the loft and sent a quick text to Stiles, pack still at the forefront of his mind. He wanted to know they were all safe and he hadn’t heard about Lydia and the other kid, Liam’s friend, yet. It was obvious now that Lydia had been trapped at the school to stop her from identifying Scott as a berserker.

****  
  
  


*************

He pulled up outside the building site that was once the Hale house. Waves of sadness crashing over him, the loss once again swamping him. He leant against the car and just let the feeling wash over him, remembering each of those he had lost. After a few minutes he straightened and took a deep breath. It wouldn’t do to wallow, he knew, he’d done that.

Stripping off, he folded his clothes and left them just underneath the rear of the car. It didn’t look like rain; he hadn’t checked, his wolf wouldn’t care, but it would be good to have dry clothes to change back into. He’d not done this since the first time, at the church, but he had no real doubts, he was his mother’s son after all. He stretched his neck bringing on the shift and slipped surprisingly easily into the shape of his wolf. It felt good, so good, tension dropped away and an easy comfort settled in its place. He sniffed the air and bounded off into the safety of the trees.

It was nearly dark as he returned to the car, he must have been running for hours. He’d crossed the whole territory and had found nothing untoward. He knew it was unlikely to remain quiet for long but it would be good if the pack could catch its breath before the next, inevitable onslaught.

He slowed to a walk as he approached his car, another vehicle was parked next to it but it only took him a moment to recognise it as the jeep. Especially as Stiles was sitting on the hood, wrapped in a large blanket. He must have heard Derek’s approach because he started talking before the wolf came into view.

“Where the hell have you been, I’ve been calling… Shit! Derek?”

Stiles tried to shuffle away, to put some distance between himself and the approaching beast but Derek caught his foot in his mouth and pulled him to the ground.

“Hey, oi, I’m fragile y’know” Stiles grumbled but by then he had Derek’s muzzle shoved up against his neck, snuffling.

“Hey, wolfie, stop it, dude!”

He was flat on his back now with the huge black wolf pinning him with a paw to his chest breathing him in. He pushed his hands into the fur trying to get a purchase so he could push him away but the wolf just paused, then licked once, all the way up the side of his face and trotted off to the back of his car to retrieve his clothes.

 

As Derek emerged doing up his shirt, Stiles was still on the ground his blanket pulled over him. He reached down offering to help him up but Stiles just stared at him open mouthed.

“You didn’t see me in Mexico then?” Derek scuffed his feet uncomfortably, “I thought you had… I er… sorry I didn’t mean to…”

“What?” Stiles snapped back. “Scare me! Well you did and I’ve got bruises and what was all that snuffling and sniffing about, jeez Derek! They told me you’d gone full wolf but somehow I thought, y’know you’d got your powers back and gone alpha-werewolf or something not… that!”

“Yeah, my mum could do it but…”

The conversation faltered but the atmosphere wasn’t entirely uncomfortable so Derek sat down and Stiles shuffled into a sitting position too. Neither of them spoke for a while and then they both did.

“I thought…” Stiles started.

“You said..” Derek spoke over him.

They both fell silent again until Stiles said, “You go first.”

“Er… ok, I,umm… you said you rang me.”

“Oh, yeah. You asked about Lydia and Mason, so I tried to call you. I wanted to know about Peter and Eichen House and stuff and that you were ok.”

“Me?”

“Well yeah, I was pretty sure you were gonna die… and...” Stiles faded off again.

“So was I”, Derek added quietly and Stiles stared at him again, not sure what to think.

After a moment he cleared his throat and started again. “So, yeah Lydia, yeah she’s ok, a bit bruised and battered but nothing too bad, erm, Mason too, I think. They got thrown about a bit but I think it just wanted to keep them there, not kill them. Ah man! Dad was badass though, he threw that mine The Mute planted at the school. Just threw it to the berserker and shouted catch and the freakin’ thing did and it blew him to pieces.”

Stiles sniggered a bit at the scene he’d described and Derek smiled slightly and huffed, “Recklessness runs in the family then.”

Stiles swatted at him in response.

“I better get back,” Stiles suggested a few minutes later, “or that badass sheriff will be on my case, not that he isn't already. You know he handcuffed me to his desk at the Sheriffs Office when I got back and took Malia for pizza.”

Derek’s eyebrows shot up and then he smiled, “How long it take you to get out of them?”

Stiles smiled too, “Under a minute - I’ve got this neat little pick I keep handy.”  

Still smiling they moved towards their cars. “You looked beautiful,” Stiles said, almost to himself.

Derek gave him a confused look, “Stiles?”

“Your wolf man, your wolf,” he replied as he quickly clambered into the jeep trying hard not to blush.

******************

 


	2. Pack Family

 

All Stiles could think about on the way home was Derek, not entirely surprising as he’d just called him beautiful. His wolf, he called Derek’s wolf beautiful, which was true but still embarrassing.  He had so much he wanted to say to Derek and no idea how to do it. He’d never got anywhere with Lydia and Malia had just sort of come along and claimed him, so he’d never really tried to do this before. He wasn’t even sure what _this_ was, but he knew he had to try. Walking away from a dying Derek in Mexico had nearly killed him. He’d known in that moment he had to come clean, let Derek know how he felt, even if it led to rejection. He couldn’t keep pretending it didn’t matter. And then there was the Malia thing.  

The house was empty when he got home, so he put his books in his bedroom and headed for the kitchen. A quick text told him the sheriff would be back within the hour so he set about making dinner.

Scott rang when he was pretty much done, so he sat at the kitchen table and tried to concentrate on his friends worries.

“Kira won’t talk to me Stiles.”

“What? At all?”

“No, but she hardly said anything to me at school today and she didn’t want to come over.”

“Maybe she’s just tired, y’know.”

“Yeah, but now she says her and Malia are meeting up after school tomorrow, so I won't see her then either. She’s been acting weird since we came back from Mexico. I just don't know what I've done, dude.”

“Well you did stab her and believe me, and I should know, I know it wasn't you, but maybe she’s a bit freaked out. It was a shitty experience for her, Scotty.”

“Yeah, I know but…”

“Look Dad’s just walked in, why don't you come over after school tomorrow and we can talk some more.”

“Yeah, yeah ok, thanks Stiles”.

The sheriff wandered into the kitchen and took a look in the pans. “Smells good”

“Yeah, it should be about ready.”

They settled down to eat and started talking about some weird graffiti that the sheriff had seen in town. He opened a file and pulled out a couple of photos passing them to Stiles.

“There’s a few different ones, symbols, runes, I don't know but… well, see what you think.”

Stiles put down his fork and reached out for the prints. Then started giggling. “Oh god, Dad! You didn’t show these to anyone else at the station, did you?”

“No. Why? What’s so damned funny?”

“Hey, hey, Dad, its ok, calm down, I can confirm they are 100% non-supernatural.”

“So what the hell are they then and why are they all over my town?”

“Mmm… best guess is some kids found some spray paint - they’re band logos Dad, y’know, this is Linkin Park”, he pointed each one out, “that’s Thirty Seconds to Mars, I’m not sure about those shield ones, but... oh, that’s Fall Out Boy. They're harmless Dad, nothing to worry about.”

“They're still making my town look a mess” his dad huffed, only then giving his son a wry smile. “I’m sorry, I keep seeing freaks everywhere, thinking everything is linked to your damn werewolves. I could do with some good old fashioned jaywalking and possibly a bit of littering to deal with.”

*******************

Scott stopped his bike next to the jeep the next evening, in front of the Stilinski house.

“Hey Stiles, good timing.” Scott grinned.

“Yeah, man,” Stiles smiled back, pleased to have some time with his bro. They moved inside, collapsing into the sofa in the living room.

“Shoot ‘em up or racing?” Stiles asked, “I figure we need some stress relief before anything else.”

"Snap,”  Stiles gloated having won a second game easily, “you need so much practice dude!"

"Looks like I'll have plenty of time for it,” Scott pouted, “Kira's still being super weird."

Setting up for the next game Stiles announced, “Pack meeting!”

“What?”

“A pack meeting, thats what we need. We haven’t all met up since Mexico and Kira can't refuse to turn up. Or Malia for that matter, I've hardly seen her either.”

“Do you think Derek’ll mind having it at the loft? I don’t want my dad turning up halfway through.”

“I shouldn’t think so but you should ask. We ought to get Parrish to come along too, he was there.”

“ Yeah, yeah and Mason too.”

“Really, you sure?”

Scott nodded, “It might help Liam to chill out a bit and he did face off that berserker with Lydia.”

“True. Do you think Liam’s told him yet… about the whole fangs and claws thing?”

“I don't think so but he needs to, he needs a good friend. And... it might be easier with us all there.”

****  
  


*************************

****  
  


“Coffee?” Kira asked.

“Yeah, ok, but I never know what to have, everything’s too sweet.” Malia frowned.

“Americano then or espresso?”

“What’s espresso?”

“Small and very strong!”

“Perfect, that’s me! And you!!”

The girls got served and found a table.

“Oh, jeez,” Kira moaned, “I don’t know what to do about Scott - I can’t keep putting him off.”

“Just tell him what your feeling then…”

“Ooh, tell who what?” Lydia approached the table with her own drink.

“Hey Lydia. Kira’s having Scott issues.”

“Malia!” Kira gave her a hard look.

“What? It’s true!”

“Maybe she didn’t want everyone to know,” Lydia suggested.

“Lydia’s not everyone.” Malia defended herself.

“Don’t worry, all secrets are safe with me. What’s wrong though - I thought you two were young love personified?”

“They were until Mexico.”

“Malia!” Both Kira and Lydia interrupting her this time,

“Sorry.”

Kira made a face. “He just… he wasn’t… oh I don’t know where to start.”

“Well what happened when you got there, La Iglesia, right?”  Lydia asked.

“No, it was before that, at the loft, we were fighting Kate and her berserker and it was hard y’know, but then he gave up... he stopped fighting.”

She took a deep breath, “Then at the church, a berserker attacked me and it was him, I saw his tattoo on his arm. He didn’t know me, was completely in Kate’s control and he stabbed me and… and I know it wasn’t him, that he could only do what Kate wanted but it was horrible. And I can't get it out of my head. Oh god, I don't know, it’s stupid but…”

“Its not stupid.” Lydia broke in, “It’s totally understandable, but I do think you have to talk to him about it.”

“And then the Liam thing, there’s that as well.”

Kira looked at Malia and gave her a small smile.

“Yeah, ok, yeah… we... everyone else had arrived, Scott was fighting and got Liam by the throat and I shouted at him to stop, but I couldn’t get through to him, he wouldn’t listen to me. He wouldn’t even listen to Stiles... but he listened to Liam.”

Lydia closed her eyes for a moment then said, “There’s a really strong bond between an alpha werewolf and a beta he turned, especially his first one.”

“I know, but it just feels empty, I can't explain …”  Kira sighed.

Malia caught sight of a guy walking in and exclaimed, perhaps a little too loudly, “Ooh, he’s cute!”

Lydia gave her an odd look, “I thought you’d claimed Stiles forever.”

“I wanted to claim him,” Malia explained, “I tried to make him mine but he’s not there. Maybe he’s already someone else’s, maybe he’s not... I don't know...”

Lydia smiled, “All three of us single might be fun.”

Kira and Malia shared a look and a small smile.

“Ah!” Lydia raised her eyebrows and nodded.

Kira retaliated, “Anyway, I thought you had a soft spot for Parrish.”

*****************************


	3. Family History

 

“I’m off Son,” the sheriff called up the stairs, “there’s a package here for you.” Stiles heard the front door shut and hauled himself out of bed. He looked at his phone, it was still early, but he might as well get up and take a look at this parcel. He’d got no idea who it was from, he hadn't ordered anything and almost everyone he knows lives in Beacon Hills and could have just given whatever it was to him directly.  

He stumbled down the stairs, rubbing his eyes. Him and Scott had had a bit of a marathon netflix session the night before and if it wasn’t for his curiosity he wouldn’t have bothered getting out of bed. Having found the tightly-wrapped, square package on the kitchen table, he carried it back upstairs. He grabbed a pair of scissors from his desk and sat back in bed with the parcel, pulling the covers over him.

It was pretty heavy and covered in so much wrapping and tape that it was hard to get the scissors through to start with. Eventually he managed to create a hole and soon had it undone. There was a note saying _‘To be given to Stiles when he is ready’_.  The box itself was an old and wooden, antique even and was firmly locked. Stiles huffed, set it down on the floor and rolled over to get some more sleep.

He woke with a start, an hour or so later and scrambled out of bed. He wasn’t sure if he'd dreamt it or if the thought had just come to him but before long he'd found the keychain his mother had given him before she’d died. It had two keys on it, one of which he was sure would open the box. He sat on the floor in front of the box and took a deep breath. Whoever had sent the box, it must have come originally from his mother. All kinds of feelings bombarded him and a shiver ran down his spine.  He put the keychain on top of the box and set about finding clothes. Whatever the box contained, he knew it was important and required his respect. Batman pyjamas just wouldn’t hack it.

************************

 

Derek was pretty glad that Scott had rung and asked him if the pack could meet there later that day. It answered a couple of the questions that had been bothering him. He was pack. Scott seemed to respect him and was somewhat in awe of his full wolf shift. It settled something within him, calmed him.

He got into his car and headed towards the preserve. He’d found that running as his wolf cleared his head. He needed to understand better what Peter had done and what he’d been planning.  And then there was Eichen House. He’d visited the vault to see if he could find any information down there. He’d brought back a huge pile of his mother's papers that he wanted to go through later. Maybe he'd talk to Stiles after the meeting if there was anything interesting there to follow up on.

***********************

Stiles had showered, dressed and breakfasted before he felt ready to face the box. He’d taken it back down stairs and sat at the dining table in front of it. The first key he tried had worked and he’d opened it to discover a letter in his mother’s handwriting.

_My darling boy,_

_I asked Talia to keep this box and give it to you when she thought you were ready. I trust her Stiles and you should too. She’ll help you come to terms with the secrets you’re about to discover._

__

Stiles stopped reading, putting the letter down. There was already so much to take in.

His mother had known Talia Hale. His mother had known Talia Hale well and had trusted her. His mother had known Talia Hale and must have known what she was. His mom knew Derek’s mom.

He picked up the letter again and took a few measured breaths to steady himself.

 

_Depending on your circumstances when you read this, what I am about to tell you may very well shock you. Don’t be afraid of what I tell you and follow the lessons in the book carefully. You have been given a great honour and responsibility but I know you will do well. For all your exuberance and excess energy, you have always been a loving boy._

_Moje drogie dziecko, you know both your father and I have Polish ancestry. I tried to teach you many of the folk tales when you were a child, I hope you remember some of what I told you. The tales should not be taken as fact, but are also not untrue. They tell us much of the old ways and beliefs and they give us an understanding of who we are._

_Stiles, you and I are not entirely human. We are more and considered fae. Not little dancing fairies but guardians of the forest._

__

Stiles dropped the letter again and tried to control his breathing. He got up and then sat back down on the sofa, head in his hands. He wished Talia was still alive, he needed to talk to her.

It took a good while for Stiles to go back to the letter, even after calming down. First he took the book from box and flicked through it. Most of it was in Polish and handwritten, a grimoire, but he found to his relief that there was an English translation later in the book.

He found some illustrations too, mostly of gnarled old tree men with long green beards, horns and bluish skin. He wasn’t sure he wanted anything to do with them, but then he found a drawing of a younger man. This one he could relate to more easily, he was even quite good-looking, considering. His hair and beard were still green but shortish and shaggy, soft-looking.  He had little, stubby horns poking through his hair and matching furry ears. He couldn’t help thinking of Derek’s soft wolfy ears and smiled. The most shocking part of this image were the legs, even though the man was dressed in breeches his legs were hairy and looked like the hind legs of a goat with cloven hooves. Stiles couldn’t help thinking of all the pictures he’d seen like this of the devil and shivered.

He went back to the letter; his mother had told him not to be afraid, so he’d be strong for her.

_You are Leszi, the forest lord._

_You are a shapeshifter and can appear however you wish (though it  will take practise). Traditionally you take a form similar to a satyr or alternatively, a tree. There is so much information in the book, I shan’t repeat it all here but know that you are to protect all the creatures and plants of the forest, despite a tendency to trick the foolish._

_You have magic within you and must learn to use it. Study hard and it will be your friend. Learn also to love the wolves, they are the leszi’s favorites and will teach you much. You should try early on to take their form and run with them, it will bring you so much joy._

_Lastly, be careful with your heart, my boy. Our kind only truly love once in our lifetimes and you should choose wisely. We cannot survive unrequited love, it drains us and ultimately kills us._

_Stiles, your father will probably find all this hard to accept, he did with me. Please be patient with him, he is a good man and I love him dearly. I love you too, with all my heart and will always watch over you. Be strong and faithful and you will succeed._

_Your loving mother,_

_Claudia_

There were tears in his eyes as he finished the letter, he wanted to shout his frustration that not only had his mother died young but Talia too. Who was he to turn to? He didn’t trust Deaton and his mother hadn’t mentioned him, so he was not going there. She’d mentioned wolves so he considered telling to Derek, but he came with so many other complications and Stiles just wasn’t sure. He resolved to read the book thoroughly and then probably reread it before talking to anyone.

He looked into the box again before putting the book back and found there was a small talisman hiding in one corner. It depicted a man’s face surrounded by leaves. The book revealed it to be an image of the green man and that he should wear it to bring him protection. He attached it to the keychain and put the chain around his neck, luckily it was long enough to be hidden by his clothes. He put the letter and book back in the box, locked it and then hid it under his bed. He wanted time to take it all in before reading further and anyway he needed to get to the loft for the meeting.

****  
  



	4. Pack

 

Stiles had been right, they had needed a pack meeting and not just so Scott could see Kira. A lot had happened and they needed to share  information so that everyone was aware of their circumstances.

Scott asked Liam to tell Mason why he had been so evasive lately. Liam looked at him wide-eyed but Scott just nodded in reassurance. The group became very still and quiet and Mason looked utterly lost until Lydia moved to sit next to him. He froze entirely when Liam revealed his beta werewolf form, his heart beating wildly but calmed down considerably once Liam looked human again and hugged him.

At Kira’s suggestion they went around the group describing what they were for Mason’s benefit. There were some raised eyebrows when Stiles repeated what he’d told Liam, that he had been possessed but now was better. Stiles thought it fitted him better than they knew. Mason was most shocked by Lydia’s revelation, having assumed she was human too but after a while he seemed reconciled and explained that his mother had always believed in the supernatural and had encouraged him to keep an open mind.

Scott reiterated the deal that Chris had brokered with the Calaveras. Parrish then told them what Peter had done to Chris and how his powers had manifested. Stiles was most intrigued by the description of the deputy’s orange eyes and Lydia said she was going to try and help him discover what he was (while totally ignoring Kira’s smirk).

They talked about their experiences at length, eventually stopping to eat the food Derek had provided.

**********************

Derek seemed to be in a good mood and Stiles decided it might be a good time to talk to him about how he felt. As the others began to drift away he helped Derek tidy up, and then asked if they could talk privately.

Derek was in a good mood and told Stiles more about his wolf and how it made him feel grounded. He also mentioned wanting Stiles to help him investigate Eichen House. And that although he hadn’t had a chance yet, what with preparing for the pack meeting, he had some papers of his mothers to go through. Stiles found himself unexpectedly pleased at Derek’s request, maybe because Derek had asked rather than just turning up in his room, or maybe because he wanted an excuse to spend more time with Derek. Either way, the chance to find out more about Talia was a bonus.

After that however things went downhill. Stiles tried to explain that he felt he had a connection with Derek, which Derek said he felt too. But went on to talk about pack, pack bonds and pack strength  and how their friendship was part of that. Derek seemed so pleased with the situation, Stiles felt he couldn’t steer the conversation towards more personal feelings. It got even worse when he talked about Braeden and how Malia had claimed Stiles. Basically it all just left Stiles feeling totally rejected.

****  
  


 


	5. Discovery

 

The next few weeks were supernaturally uneventful for everyone, except Stiles. In fact the whole pack seemed pretty content (except Stiles). Stiles however had years of experience hiding his true feelings behind a mask of sarcasm and bonhomie and he put it to good use.

Scott and Kira talked and agreed to a hiatus while they coped with what had happened in Mexico and their friendship seemed stronger for it.

Malia tackled Stiles and told him quite bluntly it wasn't working for her. They hugged it out and Stiles wished he had less on his mind and could devote more time to her, but it wasn’t going to happen. She was a nice girl, Stiles knew he really liked her, but all he found himself thinking about was Derek.

Stiles threw himself into his studies, mostly about Leszi rather than schoolwork but that benefited too. The book was his major focus. It contained the stories his mother had told him and many more. It described his role and responsibilities, the importance of secrecy and how his nature would develop. It gave him instruction on how to go about shifting and what he needed to consider before doing so. There was weird stuff about wearing his clothes backwards and his shoes on the wrong feet and far too many buckwheat recipes.

He went to the library, spending hours reading their reference books on the local flora and fauna. He never knew there was so much diversity in their part of California and he felt quite daunted at the prospect of protecting it all. He found books on conservation and reports from local environmental organisations and even considered joining some local societies.

 

It wasn’t only reading though, he walked a lot too. The magic the book encouraged him to try first were mainly protection spells and how to use wards. So he wandered about in the preserve and the other local parks practising. He’d decided to restrict himself to Hale territory for the time being. It felt right to help the pack and he thought Talia would have approved.

Shifting was the hardest part, he got nowhere until he realised he needed to believe it was possible. He was reminded of Deaton’s instructions on how to  use mountain ash and that if he believed it would happen. Focusing on a form to shift into was the next hurdle. He had so many ideas it was difficult to concentrate. Eventually he went with the drawing he’d liked from the book, practising each individual feature before trying to combine them.

The wolf was his next challenge, the only one he’d seen up close was Derek and then he’d been so shocked he hadn’t taken much in beyond his general majesty and the softness of the fur on his ears. In the end he watched all the videos he could find, you tubed the hell out of it and found pictures of an individual wolf he’d like to mimic. His first run felt utterly magical, like he’d never been happy before, that he’d only been stumbling through life.

Despite the joy he found in wolf form, life was not good. He thought about Derek more and more, rerunning their disastrous conversion. Friendship started to sound like an ugly word to him, he wanted more and Derek didn’t. His mom’s words echoed in his head - be careful with your heart - he knew he’d failed, failed her. As time went on he became convinced he was going to die, that his love would never be reciprocated and that he had betrayed his mother.

Finding his way into the fae realm had been a revelation to Stiles. There had been nothing explicit in the book about it, he thought perhaps the portal was unique to the preserve. The nemeton had so many strange effects on the area, it wasn’t that weird an explanation. Entering the otherworld brought such relief to Stiles he began to spend much of his time there. He saw noone else there, no other fae but he found he could relax there, recover. He had never fully gotten over being possessed, there hadn’t been time before the madness of the deadpool and Kate. The disappointment he had felt at Derek’s rejection had magnified and turned to heartbreak at home but each time he crossed over it dissipated and he felt light again.

****  
  


************************

 **  
**Derek threw himself into studying too. Reading his mothers papers and piecing together a better history of her role as alpha. There was more stuff he in the vault than he’d ever imagined and for weeks he was enthralled. He never got around to asking Stiles for help, he wanted to find out all he could first before opening up to anyone else. He felt protective towards his mother and her memory and was loathe to share it with others, even Stiles who he trusted above all. **  
**

He may have been concentrating on his mother but Stiles was never far from his thoughts. He couldn’t help thinking that he’d missed something when he’d talked to Stiles after the pack meeting. It had occurred to him when Stiles had left that he’d looked downbeat despite his initial enthusiasm for helping Derek out.

Derek still found time to run their territorial boundaries most days, he did not want any new threat creeping up on them. He came across Stiles scent occasionally and his wolf always seemed happy about it. They must have been keeping different hours though, as the scent was old each time. He found himself varying the time of day he ran hoping to come across Stiles, until the day he did. It was soon after school had finished on a Friday and he picked up Stiles’ fresh scent at the edge of the preserve. There was lacrosse practise and he was surprised Stiles wasn’t out on the field with Scott and Liam.

He followed quietly, curious to find out what Stiles was doing and why he’d been spending so much time in the woods. He caught sight of Stiles wandering along a path, stopping occasionally to look at a tree or flower. When he came to a clearing Stiles sat down with his back to a tree and took off his shoes. Derek found a secluded spot and lay down to watch. He was a bit ashamed of himself for staying when Stiles began taking his clothes off and shoving them in his backpack, but his wolf was adamant that he was not moving. He knew if he had Stiles would probably have seen him and there was no way he was going to invite that embarrassment. He was a little shocked that Stiles continued stripping until he was completely naked but that was nothing to how he felt when Stiles turned into a beautiful grey wolf. Luckily he was downwind or else Stiles would have caught his scent and he slunk away for fear that he’d be discovered.

A few days later, Derek found himself following Stiles again but was in for an even greater shock this time. He didn’t strip completely this time, only down to shorts and t-shirt. The thing he turned into was bizarre but somehow appealing and definitely non-threatening. Derek thought he looked a little like Pan from Greek mythology but with thick green hair and beard and beautiful, clear green eyes. He was dressed like someone from a picture book in half-length breeches and a jacket. Derek watched as Stiles set out to walk through the preserve again and couldn’t help but follow. Then things got even weirder, his shape seemed to blur and then he completely disappeared. Derek held back for some minutes before going to investigate, in case Stiles reappeared but when he did go to sniff out the spot the scent just stopped. It was strong up until the patch of ground where he’d last been seen but then there was nothing. It had just stopped.

Derek had no idea what to make of Stiles behaviour or his new abilities but he couldn’t help but feel pleased about it, even comforted. He realised that the preserve felt better too, happier, if it didn’t sound too far fetched, at peace. Perhaps how it was when his mother was alive.

 


	6. Friends Indeed

 

Scott bumped into Derek at the grocery store, it seemed Scott had been doing the shopping since his mom started taking double shifts and he’d run out of coffee. They swapped pleasantries until Scott asked if Derek had seen Stiles recently.

Derek looked slightly worried, “Last time I saw him he said he’d been spending time with you.”

Scott frowned, “He told me he’d been researching stuff for you. When did you actually see him last?”

“The beginning of the week, what about you?”

“He left school early on Friday saying he wasn’t well and I haven’t seen him since. So..err.. two days I guess but he’s been ducking out so much lately I’m getting kinda worried.”

Derek went quiet for a few moments before obviously coming to a conclusion. “I think I may know where he’s going, but check if the sheriff’s seen him first. Then I think we may need Lydia’s help.”

Speaking to the sheriff only confirmed Scott’s fears. Beacon Hills finest had been busy with a spate of car thefts and although the sheriff had spoken to Stiles, he hadn’t actually been seen in days. On hearing this Derek’s eyebrows dipped sharply towards the centre of his forehead. “Call Lydia, we need to meet up with her now.”

 

When they reached Lydia’s house she was standing on the doorstep waiting for them. “Do you want to come in or shall I just come with you?”

“We should come in for a few minutes, I think,” Scott suggested, “Derek’s got some news for us.”

They sat at the kitchen table and Derek started to tell them about Stiles.

He told them about the box he’d found in the vault and how he’d delivered it to Stiles. “It was obviously from Claudia Stilinski and been left in my mother’s safekeeping. I’d hoped that Stiles would talk to me about it but when he didn’t I just assumed it was some keepsakes, only of interest to him and his dad. But I kept coming across his scent in the preserve and one day I followed him.”

“Really!” Lydia interrupted, eyebrows raised.

“I know… it seems kinda weird but I was curious, there was something odd about his scent… and…”

“Don’t worry Derek. We get it, keep going.” Scott encouraged him.

“I saw him turn into a wolf!” Derek blurted out, “He’s not a werewolf, I’m sure of that but he is some kind of shapeshifter.”

Lydia looked perplexed. “Are you serious? How did I not realise?”

“I saw him take another form as well,” Derek continued, “something like a cross between a satyr and a Celtic green man. Then it hit me today that the box is the key to the whole thing. Anyway, not the point, the point is he’s been disappearing - possibly crossing over to a different plane. Until now he’s been coming back but I think we may need your help to get him back this time Lydia.”

Derek stopped and looked at Lydia, pleading silently for her to help.

“You need him back, don’t you?” she asked.

He nodded, “There’s something that I need to say… should have said.”

****  
  


********************

****  
  


They drove up into the preserve, stopping not far from the clearing where Derek had first seen Stiles shift. They walked from there, Scott’s and Derek’s abilities making tracking easy. But it was Lydia who first exclaimed, pointing ahead of then.

“There’s no scent,” Scott looked up at her.

“Duh… fairy portal thingee.”

“You can see it?” Derek asked.

“You can’t?” she replied huffing, “Ah, banshee thing. I should be able to  go through and find him... and hopefully get back”.

“Wait for me, if I’m not back in two hours you’ll need to talk to Meredith.” And with that she disappeared.

Scott and Derek stared at each other for a moment then sat down on the grass to wait.

************************

“Stiles, are you here?”

“Lyds, what the…”

Lydia shrugged and gave him a small smile. “Banshee”, she said by way of explanation.

“Leszi”, Stiles replied.

“Leshee. Oh, Polish thing, right?”

“Yeah, my mom, she left me a box.”

“So why are you holed up in here, other than it’s a pretty nice place?” she asked looking around.

Stiles blushed and looked, down. “We… err… Leszi, don’t react well to being rejected… in love. The pain is lessened here, almost vanishes… and it is a pretty cool place.”

Smiling at him, Lydia grabbed Stiles’ arm and then stopped. “Wow, your soft,” she said stroking his fur, “and you're rockin’ the green!”

Stiles tried glaring at her but he couldn’t quite make it stick.

“Come on idiot,” she said pulling him back towards the entrance, “we’ve got some unrequitedness to cure and I’ve got just the man.”

“What? Who?”

And then they were back.

Stiles took one look at Derek, grabbed his backpack and ran off into the trees, shouting “Be right back… clothes…”

He reappeared looking normal, if a bit sheepish.

“I need to tell you something.” Derek began.

“But friends… Braeden…” Stiles interrupted.

“It’s finished. She’s gone, I don’t know when or if she’ll be back.”

“But you said…”

“I just meant it was ok… she wasn’t a psychopath or a…”

“Just a straightforward mercenary!” Stiles laughed and Derek joined in.

“Weird,” Lydia mumbled, pretty much to herself, turned around and said, ”Time to say goodbye I think. Come on Scott.”

Left by themselves, they stared a little, then Derek started moving towards Stiles, nearly crashing into him, pulling him close. But when their lips met it was anything but violent. Ardent, passionate, heartfelt, it was - but sweet and gentle with it.

They wandered back towards the town, arm in arm, stopping occasionally to kiss.

“So, Polish fairy,” Derek asked smirking and dancing away from Stiles, “do you have wings?”

Stiles swatted at his head and stuck out his tongue. “Can if I want to,”

he sing-songed in a childish voice.

A little later Derek said quietly, “I saw your wolf, you are beautiful, Stiles and I love you.”

Stiles smiled a massive smile, hugged Derek to him and whispered in his ear, “You too Sourwolf, always.”

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Leszi really are Polish fae and guardians of the forest. They are considered tricksters and their favourite animals are wolves.  
> Read More: http://faerie.monstrous.com/polish_faeries.htm#ixzz3HdmpDaiG
> 
> Hopefully 'Mój cenny dziecko' does mean 'My precious child' in Polish, but if not, please let me know and I'll correct it quick, smart.


End file.
